Hartford Republicans' Goal: More Seats On City Council

GOP Nominates Candidates At Convention

HARTFORD — — Saying they hope to win all three minority party seats on the city council, Republicans on Wednesday endorsed six candidates.

The party, at its nominating convention at city hall, endorsed city lawyer Corey Brinson, a current council member; Sweets Wilson, a forensic mental health specialist for the Community Renewal Team; city attorney Michael Fryar; Rico Dence, a Burger King manager who also operates a nonprofit agency; Jake Bookwalter, a legislative aide to the state House Republicans; and Andrew Childs, an insurance underwriter for Allied World.

Brinson is the only Republican on the council right now, along with six Democrats and two members of the Working Families Party.

Republicans can hold up to three seats on the council, according to city laws.

"The goal is to get three Republicans back on the council," said Michael McGarry, chairman of the Republican town committee. "Economic development is the only way we are going to get out of the problems we're in, and investors are happier with Republicans than the Working Families Party. They're too far to the left and it hurts economic development."

McGarry said Bookwalter and Childs would serve as placeholder candidates to fill Republican lines on the ballot.

Republicans also endorsed McGarry for mayor and Michele Hoff Fryar for city treasurer.

Although the city is overwhelmingly Democratic — registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by an 18 to 1 ratio — McGarry said Mayor Pedro Segarra, who is running for his first full term after being appointed to replace Eddie Perez, "needs somebody to challenge his assumptions."

Segarra is expected to win the endorsement at Thursday's Democratic nominating convention.

"I think Pedro's done a pretty good job, but no one's perfect," McGarry said Wednesday. "Someone needs to point out deficiencies in the city."

McGarry said he takes his candidacy seriously, but won't do extensive fundraising.